Credit: Erica Vincent
Credit: Erica VincentWith multiple facets of the music industry coming to a halt last year during lockdown, musicians and artists were faced with finding new ways to unleash their creativity. This includes Sum 41 drummer Frank Zummo, who found himself dabbling in the dance music scene. Ever since, Frank has released a string of singles and a debut EP, which includes collaborations with artists such as Landon Tewers, The Underclassmen, and dying in designer. His latest release “On My Mind” came to us just last month and featured innovative electronic artist Grabbitz. We recently had the pleasure of catching up with Frank during this exciting time to discuss the new single and his journey with his solo project thus far.
Melodic Mag: Hey there! Thanks for taking time out to chat with us. How is your November going?
Frank Zummo: Hey and thanks for having me! November has been amazing so far! Just got back from an incredible solo show in Dallas! It’s amazing to be playing these new solo tracks live and seeing the reaction. The best part is to be connecting with people again, and there’s nothing better than live concert experiences!
You managed to stay pretty busy these past couple of years despite the pandemic. Were you surprised that dance music came into your life during this time?
Thanks! Yeah, I definitely fully immersed myself into this solo project over this pandemic. It really saved me and my mental health during these times! Dance music has always been a huge part of my life and really came together naturally with blending rock for these solo tracks.
You made your first solo debut alongside Kayzo in 2019 at Coachella. What have you learned from Kayzo about creating music in the EDM scene?
Kayzo produced and co-wrote my debut solo single “The Less We Know” that I released the day we played Coachella together in 2019. To be able to tour and create with Kayzo has been really incredible! He’s on the forefront with blending rock and electro, and I’ve learned so much working together in the studio and live. I also got to collaborate with him on his track “Cruel Love” that we recorded the same day as “The Less We Know.” That was a super special day due to my second son being born hours before the session, and I was on Cloud 9!
You released your first solo EP last year with It’s My War – did this project start out as a concept with a set amount of tracks or was it just something that naturally came together?
I had written around six tracks and shared them with Jauz for his Bite This! label, and we decided those three songs were perfect for my first EP on his label. He’s been amazing to work and release music with!
When you begin working on a track, do you often factor in what it would be like to play it in a live setting?
Absolutely! That’s always a natural part of the process.
Your latest release comes in the form of “On My Mind” with Grabbitz. Could you tell us more about the meaning behind the track and how you linked up with Grabbitz?
I’ve known Grabbitz for years and after finishing the writing session with Four Names, I was driving in the car and heard his track with Rezz on the radio and knew his voice was perfect for this track. This track is about loss, which really hits over this uplifting track. It was something Grabbitz was going through at the time, and I’m happy this track let those emotions out of him.
The music video complements the track so well, with the natural light from the sun and the glowing lights at night harnessing the energy we feel from the track. How long did it take before you landed on this concept?
Thanks so much! The original plan was to have a raw performance-based video that was cinematically beautiful and then we explored a few other treatment ideas, but always came back to this original idea. Director John Asher really nailed it, and it was a super fun shoot!
Is there a debut album planned?
Nothing at the moment, but I’ve been working away on new music and collabs.
I am really into all of the work you have done through projects like Street Drum Corps and collaborations with the School of Rock, as they really broaden the perspective and show that being a drummer is not limited to playing in a rock band. Is there something that hasn’t been done yet with drums that you would want to see happen in the future?
Thanks so much! I love pushing boundaries with drums and am always on a quest to keep exploring!
You have accomplished so much, and when I watched the video for “E.O.T.E.” and saw you playing underwater, I thought, “Okay, there’s nothing he can’t do!” But, are there a few items left on your bucket list?
Ha! Thank you! That was an experiment that actually worked, thankfully! I was inspired by Laird Hamilton’s pool workouts and wanted to see if drumming was possible underwater, and it also looked beautiful on camera. Definitely still a lot on the bucket list!
Thanks again for your time. Do you have any final thoughts or comments?
Thanks to all for the support on this solo journey! The goal is to inspire with this project and hopefully brighten the listener’s day 🙂
Keep up with Frank Zummo: Twitter // Instagram // Facebook // TikTok
